The Tomb of Frankenstein

From the collection of

Launched in 2000, Northern Ireland Screen’s Digital Film Archive spans from 1897 to the present day and currently contains an ever-expanding catalogue of 13,000 items. It comprises material from a variety of depositors including feature films, sport, documentaries, animation, amateur footage, light entertainment, and a significant proportion of broadcast material from the UTV Archive.

The Tomb of Frankenstein

Northern Ireland Screen's Digital Film Archive
Comber
1964-01-01
Sound
26m

A strange old hermit uses witchcraft to give life to the Frankenstein monster. Will the creature be his instrument of revenge, or will it turn on its creator?

A homage to the classic Frankenstein story from the inimitable Spence Brothers, shot on location in Comber and the Clandeboye Estate. The subject matter has a long and controversial history in Northern Irish cinema. In 1932, James Whale's Frankenstein was banned by the Police Committee as "blasphemous and unedifying" for its portrayal of a scientist emulating the life-giving abilities of God.

Twin brothers Roy and Noel Spence have been making films like this for over fifty years; with subjects including crafty leprechauns, creatures from outer space, fifties rock 'n' rollers and the undead.Â You can enjoy many of these fantastical creations on BFI Player. This film is courtesy of Roy Spence and is held in the Irish Film Archive.

Amateur Auteurs

Ever dreamed of shooting your own movie? These pre-digital cine-enthusiasts did - with all the passion and devotion of the true auteur.

These low- (or no-) budget creations reach beyond simple point-and-shoot, back-garden efforts towards something more ambitious and skilful, revealing their authors' passion for film and their often astonishing ingenuity with limited resources. No desktop editing software or digital special effects for these amateur auteurs. The films include fiction and documentary, competition prizewinners and private labours of love. They may be the work of cine-clubbers or individual enthusiasts. But they all show a devotion to filmmaking that far transcends hobbyism. So look out for the delightful handmade intertitles, table-top special effects and library soundtracks which decorate many of the quirky stories, ultra-local documentaries and painstakingly composed home movies featured here.